Man charged with making more than $10,000 worth of purchases with company credit card

MARIES COUNTY, Mo. - Maries County deputies arrested Kyle Ridenhour on Thursday after officers said they were alerted that a former employee of a local business was making unauthorized purchases.

According to the probable cause statement, the owners of Central Missouri Excavation and Contracting believed Ridenhour had made more than 150 unauthorized charges on a company credit card adding up to more than $10,000.

Ridenhour was employed with the business from the spring until the end of November.

The owners of the business told deputies that they issue credit cards to their employees for business expenses with instructions for how the cards are to be utilized.

Officers said the card was not be utilized for fuel purchases or for anything not business-related.

Deputies said Ridenhour admitted to knowingly using the company credit card in an unauthorized manner and said he knew it was wrong to do.

Ridenhour told officers he did it because he felt that the owners of the business had not made good on their promises involving how much work and benefits Ridenhour would receive as an employee.

Ridenhour also admitted to purchasing two guns using the credit card and using the card without permission multiple times per week.

Ridenhour was charged with three counts of fraudulent use of credit/debit device.